[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8343-8344]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2628]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation 
Plan and Environmental Assessment for Waccamaw National Wildlife 
Refuge.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Draft 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft 
CCP/EA) for Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge in Georgetown, Horry, and 
Marion Counties, South Carolina, is available for distribution. This 
Draft CCP/EA was prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge 
System Administration Act of 1997, and the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, and describes the Service's proposal for management 
of this refuge over the next 15 years.

DATES: Written comments must be received at the postal address listed 
below no later than March 14, 2008.

ADDRESSES: To provide written comments or to obtain a copy of the Draft 
CCP/EA, please write to: Mr. Craig Sasser, Refuge Manager, Waccamaw 
National Wildlife Refuge, 1601 North Fraser Street, Georgetown, SC 
29440. The Draft CCP/EA may also be accessed and downloaded from the 
Service's Internet site: http://southeast.fws.gov.planning.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Craig Sasser, Refuge Manager, at 
Telephone: 843-527-8069 or 843-509-1514; E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Public Availability of Comments: Before including your address, 
phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information 
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, 
including your personal identifying information, may be made publicly 
available at any time. While you can ask us in your comments to 
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we 
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Background: Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge is currently 18,251 
acres in size (within an approved acquisition boundary of 54,000 
acres), and was established in 1997 for the following purposes: (1) To 
protect and manage diverse habitat components within an important 
coastal river ecosystem for the benefit of threatened and endangered 
species, freshwater and anadromous fish, migratory birds, and forest 
wildlife, including a wide array of plants and animals associated with 
bottomland hardwood habitats; and (2) to provide compatible wildlife-
dependent recreational activities, including hunting, fishing, wildlife 
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and 
interpretation.
    Significant issues raised by the public and addressed in the Draft 
CCP/EA include: conserving migratory waterfowl, neotropical migratory 
birds, and black bears; increasing opportunities for hunting, fishing, 
wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education 
and interpretation; developing a new visitor center; acquiring parcels 
from willing sellers within the approved refuge acquisition boundary; 
restoring longleaf pine forests; developing partnerships with the State 
and non-governmental organizations, and protecting Bull Island as 
wilderness. The Service developed four alternatives for management of 
the refuge (Alternatives A, B, C, and D), with Alternative D as the 
Service's proposed alternative.

Alternative A (Current Management)

    Under this alternative, Waccamaw Refuge would continue its current 
management. No active, direct management of waterfowl populations would 
occur. With regard to neotropical migratory birds, the refuge would 
continue to conduct informal surveys on swallow-tailed kites and 
Swainson's warblers on an occasional basis. Incidental observations of 
black bear on the refuge would be compiled. Threatened and endangered 
species would continue to be protected on appropriate refuge habitats. 
Each of the recreational uses as identified in the National Wildlife 
Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 would continue.

Alternative B (Habitat Restoration/Enhancements on Unit 1)

    Under this alternative, the refuge would focus on habitat 
restoration efforts and enhancements on Unit 1, which consists of 
34,784 acres (including acreage within the acquisition boundary not 
owned by the refuge) and is made up entirely of alluvial and black 
water floodplain forested wetlands. The refuge would aim to improve 
wintering waterfowl habitat on approximately 600 acres on Unit 1 by 
restoring hydrology. With regard to neotropical migratory birds and 
black bears, Alternative B would be the same as Alternative A. With 
regard to threatened and endangered species, Alternative B's proposed 
hydrology restoration on Unit 1 would enhance its existing wood stork 
rookery. All existing recreational uses would be continued and 
additional wildlife-dependent public uses would be implemented.

Alternative C (Habitat Restoration/Enhancement on All Units)

    Under this alternative, the refuge would focus habitat restoration 
efforts

[[Page 8344]]

and enhancements on all units of the refuge--Units 1, 2, and 3. Unit 1 
consists of 34,784 acres of alluvial and black water floodplain 
forested wetlands. Unit 2 consists of 12,046 acres, with approximately 
6,362 acres of upland longleaf pine forest and tidal forested and 
emergent wetlands. Unit 3 consists of 2,902 acres and contains historic 
rice fields, many of which remain intact and are managed for wintering 
waterfowl. Management of migratory waterfowl and neotropical migratory 
birds would be the same as Alternatives A and B. Management of black 
bears would be more active under this alternative. Refuge acquisition 
and habitat restoration efforts within wetland corridors would be 
targeted to improve connectivity between bear populations. Management 
of threatened and endangered species would generally be the same as 
Alternative B, restoring the hydrology on Unit 1 to enhance the 
existing wood stork rookery. In addition, it would restore wood stork 
feeding areas on Unit 3 and red-cockaded woodpecker nesting and 
foraging habitat on Unit 2. Recreational use of the refuge would remain 
the same as Alternatives A and B, but would expand hunting 
opportunities. It would explore the potential for a youth waterfowl 
hunt on managed wetlands. In addition, opportunities for wildlife 
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and 
interpretation would be expanded.

Alternative D (Optimize Habitat Management and Visitor Services)--
Proposed Alternative

    Under this alternative, habitat management and visitor services 
throughout the refuge would be optimized. Management of waterfowl and 
migratory birds would be the same as Alternatives B and C; however, 
management of black bears would be stepped up from that of the previous 
three alternatives. This alternative would conduct annual surveys of 
black bears and attempt to enlist public participation in gathering, 
recording, and compiling sightings. Management of threatened and 
endangered species would generally be the same as Alternative C--
restoring the hydrology on Unit 1 to enhance the existing wood stork 
rookery, restoring wood stork feeding areas on Unit 3, and red-cockaded 
woodpecker nesting and foraging habitat on Unit 2. Recreational use of 
the refuge would continue. This alternative would expand on hunting 
opportunities for deer and hog by considering a hunt by mobility-
impaired individuals. It would potentially include a youth waterfowl 
hunt on refuge management lands. Over the lifetime of the CCP, this 
alternative would call for reducing deer herd density to improve herd 
health and to improve habitat quality for other species. This 
alternative would identify the 4,600-acre Bull Island as a proposed 
Wilderness Study Area. The Service would maintain its wilderness 
character, and within 10 years of approval of the comprehensive 
conservation plan, would prepare a wilderness study report and 
additional NEPA documentation on whether Bull Island should be formally 
designated by Congress as a unit of the National Wilderness 
Preservation System. The refuge would prepare and implement a Visitor 
Services' Plan and expand most wildlife-dependent public uses in a 
number of ways.

    Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law 
105-57.

    Dated: November 30, 2007.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
 [FR Doc. E8-2628 Filed 2-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P